Blackwind Reviews
Blackwind has a lot of promise, but fails to deliver on it. Smooth controls can't make up for repetitive combat and bad design choices.
It isn't downright bad by any means, just like going back and playing the original God of War on PS2 isn't bad either. But that design is really only excusable in the context of its time. Blackwind will have some appeal to hardcore fans of early 2000's action games, but without those rose tinted glasses, there isn't much here to help it rise above mediocrity.
The potential for something fascinating was there, but unfortunately, the game's first hour gave us a false impression, as the promising combat model and exploration became a repetitive, prolonged slog way before the end credits. Too bad.
Failing to stack up anywhere near it’s contemporaries, Blackwind is a hollow exosuit complete with unengaging combat, mind-numbing exploration and puzzle elements, repetitious presentation, poor story and baffling design choices. There are plenty of potentially great ingredients to this package, but unlike the age-old adage, the sum is certainly no greater than the parts. A meek gust of breeze as opposed to the promise of a gale-force wind.
Blackwind is a decent hack-and-slash action game with fast agile gameplay and a good mix of puzzles and platform sections. The story and cartoon-stylised cutscenes were enough to keep me invested in wanting to find out what happens next, and the voice acting was great. I often fought against the camera angle, particularly when trying to be precise with platform jumping sections, but the combat and execution takedown animations was great fun.
It is accurate to say that BlackWind didn't present anything really inovating, but it combined several formulas (successfully) and presented a very pleasant experience. A title for players who like different styles and enjoy a gratifying gameplay, without many compromises. Nevertheless, we highlight the available difficulty modes (which are reflected in enemy fire rates and higher HP), which manage to adjust this title, from a more casual to a more frantic experience.
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Blackwind has the right ingredients for an engaging and challenging game, but the lack of proper difficulty balance and camera frustrations prevent it from hitting the right marks.
Heavy mechs smashing up alien threats is always going to be entertaining, but just be wary of expecting too much out of Blackwind other than straightforward action with some slight detours.
Blackwind is an enjoyable twin-stick shooter that features intuitive gameplay and a wealth of satisfying moves. That being said, if its campaign was structured in a more comprehendible manner then it would be a much more fulfilling adventure.
Blackwind is an ambitious game that proves it can do it all – just not at once.
It’s difficult to recommend on a story basis thanks to its generic narrative, and even harder to recommend on a gameplay basis thanks to the slew of glitches, loose controls, and boring progression. With more time and refinement, Blackwind could very well have been an enjoyable experience, but alas, it didn’t seem to be written in the stars.
While it's packed with old-school hack and slash action, Blackwind's lack of variety and lackluster mechanics leave a lot to be desired.